Perfectly Soft Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

At first glance, these cookies seem usual enough.  But, a few key steps make these cookies unusually irresistible.

These soft batch style cookies have a subtle touch of peppermint, (tis the season) and they’re incredibly easy to throw together.  The secret ingredient that makes these so playfully soft … a pack of instant vanilla pudding. Minty, buttery, chocolatey.  The perfect holiday chocolate chip cookie.  They’ll fly off your dessert table.

Yummy. Distinctive. Simple. Melt in your mouth. Impossible to eat just one.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3.4oz box of Jello instant vanilla pudding
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 12oz bag semi-sweet chocolate mini chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds. Add eggs, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Beat until well combined, about 30 additional seconds.
3. Combine flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Add mini chocolate chips and mix again until chips are incorporated.
6. Place dough onto prepared baking sheet in 1 tablespoon increments. I like to use a small cookie scoop for this.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 60 mini cookies